The Iron Age 1901-01-31: Vol 67 Iss 5

pe SS THE Published every A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machi: TRON AGE 7 aininrie 130 Py nat Trades. Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232- 3: ~ Litugy im St.. New York. Vol. 67: No. 5. New York, Thursday, January 31, 1901. $5.00 a Year, including Postage, Single Copies, Ten Cents, Reading Matter Contents......... page 56 Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘“‘ 139 Classified List of Advertisers..... “141 Advertising and Subscription Rates “‘ 71 PRODUCTS | aistls Patent Steel Belt Lacing, SAVES Time, Belts, Money. GreatestStrength | READY TOAPPLY FuuSHEDVOMT With Least Metal. Send fer Circulars and Free Samp'es. THE BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn. | SAMSON SPOT CORD assac ad Phenix ame , oy of such Co << | SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TURNBUCKLES. Branch Office. 11 Broadway, New York. Cleveland City Forge and IronCo.. - Cleveland, O. | MERRILL "BROS. 465 Kent Ave., BROOKLYN, N.Y. Basic Pic. PILLING & CRANE (irard Buitging, Pritada. Lewis Block, Pittsburgh. | If a thing is first-class, a second-class man avoids it by instinct—without any reason—Apollo galvanized iron for instance. American Sheet Steel Company Banery Park Building New York U. M. C. AMMUNITION. Made for all game andall guns by a company whose product has stood as the. “ Standard of Excellence” since the days of the muzzle loader. No space for details but— A postal card will bring the U. M. C. literature, ca’- alogue, Game Laws, Shooting Rules and Records, etc. Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Agency-~313 Broadway N.Y.- Factory-Bridgeport,Ct, AHALL BOILERS See Page 98. CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS. NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, ST. LOUIS, BOSTON, DETROIT, CINCINNATI, SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, ORE., BUFFALO, BALTIMORE, NEW ORLEANS. THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY, HARTFORD, CONN. BRANCHES: Jenkins ’96 Packing. Pronounced by steam users throughout the world the best joint packing manufactured. Expensive? Not at all, as it weighs 30¢ less than many other packings, consequently is inuch cheaper. JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago. Brass Prices High, So Use Bright“‘Swedoh” Stamp- gg 130 ing Steel. Easily Brass Plated and Save Money. page MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-F riction Metal for all Machivery Rearings, A$ a FONDY+. Week ne Pac-Simile of Bar. Beware of ‘mitetions. MBy } "Ran, | | +, 4, % 266 and 267 West St.. NEW YORK, Tondon, Chicago, Montceal Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco Philadelphia. MAGNOLIA METAL CO., Owners and Sole Manuf cturers. THE IRON AGE. THE ANSONIA BRaAss pe en Co: MANUFPACTUREES OF BRASS AND COPPER Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. Ingot Copper SOLE MANUFACTURERS Tobin Bronze (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) Condenser, Piates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Wateriniee ‘Brass Co. Established 1845. Sheet, Roll and Platers’ Brass, German Silver, Co , Brass and Ger- man Silver ’ Brass and Copper Tubing. COPPER RIVETS AND BURS. TAPE MEASURES, METALLIC EYELETS, Brass Kettles, Brass Tags, Powder Flasks, Shot Pouches, &c., AND SMALL BRASS WARES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Cartridge Metal in Sheets or Shells a Specialty. DEPOTS: 60 Centre St., New York. 126 Eddy St. uve dence, R. {. 38 Mechanic St., Newark, NJ MILLS AT WATERBURY, CONN. DEOXIDIZED ORDNANCE and COMPOSITION METALS__ of all descriptions. Satisfactory prices. 99 John Street, . New York. ae Randolph. Clowes Co., Main Office aad Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 253 Broadway, Postal Tel- egraph Bidg., Room 202. Chicago Offic e, 602 Fisher Bldg Boston Office, Cor. Oliver and Purchase Sts. & METAL CO., BRIDGEPORT, CONN. ‘Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zine cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. BRIDGEPORT DEOXIDIZED BRONZE) — OUNDERS INISHERS BRASS Finisners J.J. RYAN & CO. 7 — Far ae ee — 1) Sobek aol — et — be Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals, Brass and Aluminum CA4ST!NsS ‘Sieblal-t-cem On Short Rotice (esi ieee THE METAL SUBSTITUTE | CRANE BROS, MFRS, WESTFIELD MASS. TTY SS wo oO HENDRICKS BROTHERS PROPRIETURS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS OF Bolt and Sheathing 5 — No better counter ., = . made “3. g @ 4 Wheel, $3.00 ‘ 5 Wheel, 83.25 Guaranteed. R. A. HART, BATTLE CREEK, MICH. Braziecrs’ COoOPrPEHR, COPPER WIRE AND Rivets. Importers and Dealers in Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. ingot Copper, | THE PLUME & ATWOOD MFG. Ci, ; MANUFACTURERS OF Sheet and Roll Brass —AND— WIR G PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVETS AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Kero. sene Burners, Lamps, Trimmings, &c. Lamp 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, ROLLING MILL : THOMASTON, CONN. PACTORIES : WATERBURY, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of BRASS SHEET, WIRE, TUBES. Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Goods, Nipples, Pumps and Oilers for Bicycles, Braziers’ Solder. FACTORIES, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co., DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, New York. Arthur IT. Rutter, SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING, 256 Broadway, New York. Sheet Brass, German Silver, Cop- per, Brass and German Silver Wire, Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tubes, Small Tubing a Specialty. Brass and Copper Rods, Brass Ferrules. Sheet and Ingot Copper; Spelter, Tin, Antimony, Lead, etc. “Dealch-Light” OIL and GAS Blcwcle Lantems. Send tor Circulars and Electrotypes. THE BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO., Bridgeport, Conn. 19 Murray st.. N.Y. 17 No. 7th St, pemeseyeie. 85 to 87 Pearl St., Bosto ~~ BESSEMER STEEL, GRASS AND OIL - TEMPERED SPRINGS. _ fs ‘\\t._E_ WELCH MPG CO. 3 SUDBURY STREET. BOSTON. ‘True IRON AGE THURSDAY, January 31, 1901. The McCabe Improved Double Spindle Lathe. The redesigned double spindle lathe built by J. J. McCabe of 14 Dey street, New York, is here shown in both front and rear views. Those familiar with the original form of this machine will recognize the im- provements from the follewing description: The upper point bearing, so as to accommodate itself to an uneven floor or foundation. The head stock is very wide on the base and rigid in construction. A support on the rear side connects the froni and rear bearings of the upper spindle. This adds considerable strength at this point. The base is scraped to 2 flat bearing on the ways of the bed and is held down by six eap bolts. Four adjusting THE McCABE IMPROVED spindle swings over the bed 49 inches, over the wings of the carriage 45 inches, aud over the carriage 40 inches, while the regular spindle swings over the carriage 16 inches. The bed is of ample width so that neither the head nor tail stock overhangs. This adds greatly to the rigidity in handling heavy work on the upper spindle. The leg or support under the tail stock end of the bed is arranged to swivel, making it practically a three DOUBLE SPINDLE LATHE. E screws are tapped through the flange where the head stock fits between the flat ways of the bed. The fit is made 1-32 inch loose at this point. This allows the head stock to be adjusted slightly in order to properly line up the spindle should the lathe bore tapering any time owing to the wear of the boxes. Boxes are hard bronze, of extra length, carefully fitted and scraped to a perfect bearing. The thrust of the spindles is taken on hardened ane 2 ground tool steel washers of ample proportions. The spindles are large in diameter and made from a high grade of hammered steel of about 45 points carbon. The lower spindle has a 2% inch hole through which the upper spindle is solid. Centers made from tool steel and are 1% inches in diameter. The cone is amply large in diameter, with five sections, and driven with 3% inch double belt. The gearing is strongly proportioned throughout, of coarse pitch, wide faced and accurately cut. The lower spindle is back geared and the upper one triple geared. An internal geared face plate having a ratio of about 55 to 1 is furnished as an extra for handling unusually heavy work. This gear is carefully cut and is driven by a steel pinion off the lower spindle. The carriage is gibbed front and back, with a bearing of 48 inches in tength on the ways, and is 12 inches wide at the bridge er central part. The top is made flush, without any pro- jections, planed and slotted for clamping large pieces in boring. It is powerfully geared, so that it can be oper- ated conveniently, and has quick traverse along the bed with a large diameter hand wheel. Compound rest is supported on a cross slide 24 inches in length on the car- riage, and the full width of 12 inches. It has sufficient traverse to face ful) swing on the upper spindle without shifting the tonl or losing any of the bearing. A blocking piece for the compound rest brings the tool level with the upper spindle. It is made so that it can be quickly taken off and the rest set down in its regular place. The eross feed is operated by means of a slip pinion under the cross feed screw. The screw cutting range is two or three times that of the ordinary lathe. With the gears regularly furnished from one thread in 2 inches to 32 threads per inch, including 11% can be cut on the lower spindle, and from one thread in 4 inches to 16 threads per inch can be cut on the upper spindle. The lead screw is 2 inches in diaraeter, made from a fine grade of high carbon steel. The friction feed is driven with splined screw, the threads of the lead screw being used for screw cutting only. The feed is driven by gearing and admits of three ehanges without removing the gears and by reversing the position of the gear on the end of the lower spindle and the second gear on the stud three additional changes ean be obtained, making six changes of feed without using the regular gears, that will give most any feed re- quired. The feed is engaged by a hand wheel, large in diameter, so that it is an easy matter to tighten the fric- tion by hand sufliciently to carry the heaviest cut. ‘The rack pinion is arrarged so that it can be entirely with- drawn from the rack while cutting threads. It has a double bearing in the apron, and is supported clear out to the face of the rack. This overcomes any tendency to spring. The reverse motion for controlling the feed is in the apron and is operated by a lever within convenient reach. The tail stock has a flat bearing 25 inches in length eu the ways, and fitted with a taper gib on the front side to take up any wear. It is securely held with two binders and four bolts. An improved device for clamp- ing the spindle is used that overcomes the necessity of splitting the casting at this point. Quick traverse along the bed is by means of crank and steel pinion running in the rack. ‘The usual set over is provided for taper work. The steady rest is substantial in construction and has an opening of 1044 inches. It can be used in connec- tion with both the upper and lower spindles. The eountershaft has tight and loose pulleys, driven with 4%- inch double belts. The tight pulley has 5-inch face and the loose pulley at each side 9 inches. All the sliding surfaces of the lathe are carefully titted by scraping and the cylindrical surfaces are finished by grinding. With a 10-foot bed the machine weighs 10,500 pounds. ~——— a The Metal Manufacturers’ Association of Columbus, Ohio, held their annual meeting on January 16, at the Neil House-in that city. Reports from the officers and various committees showed the organization to be in a flourishing condition. The meeting was followed by a dinner. The officers elected were as follows: Robert Jeffrey of the Jeffrey Mfg. Company, president; G. W. THE IRON AGE. January 3), 1901 Brown of the Case Mfg. Company, vice-president; H. G. Simpson of the Simpson Iron Company, secretary; A. K. Rarig of the Rarig Mfg. Company, treasurer. The members of the Executive Committee are: C. D. Hudg- ings of the Columbus Machine Company, Charles Klie of the Columbus Watch Company, J. C. Hearn of the Hearn Machine Company and G. W. Brown of the Case Mfg. Company. > The Premium System in a Machine Shop. The strike of the machinists employed by the Chris- tensen Engineering Company, Milwaukee, Wis., has brought out an interesting statement by N. A. Christen- sen, general manager of the company, relative to the premium system which is the cause of the trouble. Mr Christensen is reported by a local paper to have made the following explanation: The charge that is being made that we have violated the New York agreement is all nonsense. The strike is against the premium system, which the New York agree- ment does not touch upon in any shape or manner. This is not, in any scense of the word, a contest in which the International Machinists’ Association is a party in inter- est. In fact, the rules which we have posted in our works, and against which the mci are striking, were indorsed by James O’Connell, the president of the Inter- national Association of Machinists, in an article pub- lished over his signature in the Engineering Magazine. These rules, indorsed by President O’Connell, and which we have adopted, provide that each employee shall be guaranteed his regular day’s wages. Then the premium system comes in, which will need an explana- tion to be understood. As the result of the experience of the past two years, when there was no incentive to men to work with extra rapidity, we formed a basis of the amount of time necessary to complete certain kinds of work, and from this we have made up what is known as a ‘‘ time limit.” For example, a man is given a piece of work to do and the time limit is eight hours; if he completes the work in six hours, as is often the case, he is paid for seven hours work, which at 25 cents an hour would be $1.75, and he would still have three hours more of the day remaining, for which we guarantee to pay him 75 cents, making his wages for the day $2.50, in- stead of the $2.25 he would earn under the old system. Of course, if the man took the full eight hours to com- plete the work, it would make no difference so far as his situation was concerned. If he exceeded that time, however, the case might be different. The whole plan is to reward competent workmen. Of course, both the employer and the employee derive a benefit from the adoption of the premium system. I see that A. W. Holmes, who is said to have the strike in charge here, endeavors to create the impression that as the men proved their capacity to reduce the time necessary for the performance of a piece of work the employers would reduce the time limit therefor, and that this would result in a reduction of wages in the long run. Now let me say in reply to this that among the rules laid down by President O’Connell, and which are among those we posted in our works, are the follow- ing, which effectually disposes of that claim: “2. That the time limit shall never be lower than the average time made with the same tools under the work-day plan. “3. That no one shall be discharged because of his failure to reduce his time below the limit. “4. That, in addition to his regular wages, each em- ployee shall be paid one-half of his regular hourly rate for each and every hour he may reduce his time below the prescribed limit. “That the limit once fixed shall not be lowered ex- cept through the introduction of new methods of doing the work.” So far as the charge is concerned that we have re- fused to keep the New York agreement by shortening the hours of a day’s work, let me say that we have done better than that agreement calls for. On the day January 31, 1901 that the agreement was signed, May 18, 1900, the men were working 60 hours a week. By the terms of the agreement the number of hours was to be reduced to 57 six months from that date, and to 54 hours at the end of the year, which would be May 18, 1901. Now, when we moved into our new shops, about January 1 last, we reduced the number of hours to 54, while as a matter of fact we were not obliged to do so by the terms of the New York agreement until May 18, 1901, or about four and one-half months later. I see that Mr. Holmes says that the only shop that has the premium system in use, besides ours, is the West- inghouse works, and he says the men there have the choice of working under it or not. This statement is not true. The system jis in use in a large number of shops in different parts of the country, and even in our shop the men have their choice of working under it, the only requirement we make being that they shall not exceed the time limit for doing a piece of work, which is made up on an exceedingly liberal plan so far as the workmen are concerned. In conclusion I wish to say that the men who have gone out on a strike have themselves violated the New York agreement, about which so much is being said, of which the following is a provision: “In consideration of this concession in working hours the International Association of Machinists will place no restriction upon the management or production of the shop and will give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage.” is Manual Training at Girard College. The department of manual training at Girard College, Philadelphia, Pa., is one of if not the most important feature of the educational system of the institution. The mechanical department was established a number of years ago and has been enlarged from time to time until it now comprises seven different subdepartments—name ly, mechanical drafting, carpentry and pattern making, metal working, blacksmithing, foundry work, plumbing and electrical mechanics. The wood working department is equipped with all the conveniences of 2 modern shop, and very creditable work is performed by the older boys. Exhibits are shown of stair building, advanced pattern making and even to the construction of a model two-story house, in which all the work, making of the doors, windows, sashes, frames, &c., has been performed by the older boys. The metal working or machine department is supplied with the best and newest tools. Lathes, planers, slotting and milling machines, drill presses and other tools are provided for the varied uses of the boys in the perform- ance of the work in hand. A fully equipped tool room is maintained, and a steam test table is provided for the testing of engines, &c., built by those undergoing instruc- tion in this department. The plumbing department, although less than five years old, is thoroughly equipped with all the appliances for teaching practical and sanitary plumbing. It has a gallery divided into three sections, each representing the kitchen and bathroom of a small dwelling house. These have been fitted up by the more advanced pupils with the usual plumbing fixtures. One division represents a modern city kitchen and bathroom, with water coming from the street main. The second division represents a country kitchen and bathroom, with the water supply coming from a well or cistern, a pump conveying the water to a tank on the third floor. Stationary washtubs and piping for hot and cold water are also supplied. The third division represents a house that has never had hot or cold water, and in which the boys are instructed to pipe and fit, with the least damage to the wood work, joists, &c. The boys are instructed how to put a water back in a range, set a boiler and pipe a house for hot and cold water. Among the things made by the pupils in this department are a siphon basin, a hydraulic ram and an overshot wheel. In the department of electrical mechanics the work has kept pace with this rapidly advancing science. It is equipped with all the latest and best apparatus and ap- THE IRON AGE. 3 pliances. One of the features in this department is a working model of an electric street railway or trolley System, complete in every detail and containing about 150,000 pieces. There are also complete models for demonstrating the construction of arc lamps, both open and inclosed; complete models for demonstrating the making of incandescent lamps and the telephone, and the construction and operation of the electric motor and dynamo. In the blacksmithing department the boys are in- structed in all branches of the art—welding, forging, tempering and the manufacture of various tools com- monly used. The foundry department is situated in a separate building, especially designed for its purpose and complete in every detail. It is equipped with sand tubs and ar- ranged for classes of 24 boys each. A core room is lo- cated at one end of the building and arranged the same as the foundry. It is here that the boys are taught the rudiments of molding, beginning with simple straight cores and advancing to the more complex ones. They learn here the use of molders’ tools and the care neces- sary for good workmanship. They advance from this de- partment to green sand molding, bench work alone being performed, and, beginning with simple forms, progress to more difficult ones—three-part flask work and artistic molding for brass and white metal castings. Metal is poured every working day, the older boys pouring their own work. Heats are made in either gray iron, brass or white metal, which are melted in crucibles (two-pot fires being used), or in a cupola which is located at one end of the shop. The cupola is of modern design, lining up to 20 inches, inside diameter. An overhead trolley system provides the means of conveying crucibles to the molds or metal from the cupola. Core ovens, emery wheels, rattling barrels, &c., are also provided, the power for these and for the blowers being furnished by electricity supplied from a general station. The char- acter of work done in this department is high; all the smaller castings for various uses in the other depart- ments are made, as well as the castings which the boys machine and finish for the construction of their par- ticular work in hand. The whole enrollment of boys, something over 1500, are taken through all of the before mentioned depart- ments, the classes consisting of from 20 to 24 boys, and a period of two hours a week is given to each branch, and the class of work finished is highly commendable to both pupils and instructors. Se ee The United States Tube Company.—Ten acres of land, bounded by Amherst street on the north, Clyde street on the east, Kensington avenue on the south and the tracks of the Lackawanna Railroad on the west, have been purchased by the United States Tube Company, a West Virginia corporation, with a capital of $1,000,000, that is to locate in Buffalo. Harvey K. Flagler of Bos- ton is president of the company, and he has said ground would be broken in ten days and the factory in opera- tion in six months. The company will manufacture lap welded steel and iron boiler tubes for locomotives, ma- rine, ‘ubular and stationary boilers; lap welded steam, gas and water pipe; oil well tubing, casing, pipe lines and structural steel tubes. Present plans call for a daily output of 100 tons of steel tubes, but the company ex- pect to increase their output until it has reached 400 or 500 tons a day, which would give employment to 4000 or 5000 men. The main building will be 300 x 80 feet at the foundations and one story high. There will be en- gine and boiler honses, storehouses and gas houses, for the company will make their own gas for heating and welding. It is understood that the Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company will furnish the tube company with steel billets from which the pipe and tube are to be mannu- factured. The priucipal capital interested is New York and Boston. callie It is understood that the death of Capt. McManus may result in the abandonment of the scheme which he had in hand for the establishment of another tube works at Chester, Pa. a 4 THE The Pennsylvania Railroad’s Spring Plant at Altoona. Through the courtesy of the Railroad Gazette we are enabled to present the following admirable description of the spring plant of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Al- toona: A number of years ago the Pennsylvania Railroad be- gan to make the elliptic springs used on its cars and locomotives. The plant was small and to a certain ex- tent experimental, but the success of its operation and the quality of ihe springs made was so satisfactory that it has been continued and enlarged, and is now one of the permanent departments of the shops. Before the IRON Fig. |\—Combined Punching and Shearing Machine. Oil Furnace. AGE. January 31, 1901 machinery. Through courtesy of the officers in charge, we now give engravings of the several machines that are in use, together with a description of their operation. No helical springs are made in the plant, the work being confined to making and repairing elliptic springs for y ddd ERS Raven ee? } Chee Bice WN ——— ae At 70 lbs, $fee/ Rai! —x,' g he | ? ————— — eS ———— ________ wie ________\ — I Brick Faundatoon | " of furnace ee is ww Fig. 4. THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD’S SPRING PLANT AT ALTOONA. organization of this shop the officers of the motive power department made a careful study of the action of springs, and had a series of tests made at the Water- town Arsenal with a view to establishing the accuracy of the Reuleaux formula. This done, it remained to specify the quality of steel to be used, and the calculated properties of any spring could be realized in manufac- ture. As spring making on a large scale is not a wide- spread industry, and as most of the large manufactur- ers are using machinery of their own design, that is not on the market, it became necessary to build special passebger cars and locomotives on the lines east of Pitts- burgh. A few springs are sent West. The plant is in a one-room wing of the blacksmith shop. All work, from the shearing of the plates to the banding and testing of the springs, is done there. The first machine used is a heavy combination shear and punch, by which the plates are cut to the proper length. This machine was designed and built at Altoona, and will be described later. After the plates have been cut to length they are placed in one side of a double-sided oil furnace, where they are first heated at the center. They are then taken to a nibbing machine. The nib January 31, 1901 THE consists of a small projection upon one side of the plate, at the center of its length and breadth, with a corre- sponding depression on the other side, by means of which the consecutive plates of a spring are held in their proper ye 2 3// Fig. 6a.—End View Fig. 6. IRON AGE. 5 heated. When the plates have been so treated they are ready for shaping to the proper camber. For this pur- pose they ure again heated, this time throughout their whole length, and rolled to the proper camber in the cam- bering machine. A template is used for the shaping of the master leaf ouly, which is then used as the template for the forming of the next leaf, a process that peated for each successive heat. is re- As soon as the leaves are rolled to shape, and while they are still red hot, they are dropped into a tank of oil for hardening. In one end of a nace there is a space large heating fur- separated from the main heating chamber by a brick bridge wall, which is kept at a uni- form temperature and in which the plates are placed for an annealing heat. The temper obtained in the oil When the temper has been drawn the leaves are titted over each other, and each spring is built up separately. bath is here drawn. The tempering and annealing of the plates naturally warp them slightly. so that some straightening is required for each one. This is done by a few blows of a hammer delivered either directly upon the plate or through a flatter, The spring using a heavy surface is now ready for banding. welded by hand, and are the spring, the plates of The bands are tightened and shaped to the spring by a hydraulic press, having two plungers which are against one side and the bottom of the band, squeezing it against the leaves acd conforming it to their sectional contour. The cooling of the band tightens it in position by the natural plate as an anvil The bands are turned and then heated and slipped over which are clamped in position. brought to bear shrinkage, and the spring is then ready for the testing machine. Each spring is tested under the load that it is intended to carry and a record made of its deflection. Fig. 6.—Nibbing, Rolling and Shearing Machine THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD’S SPRING relative positions and prevented from slipping over each other. From the nibbing machine the plates are carried back to the furnace, and are heated at the ends. They are then returned to the same machine and are tapered at the ends. The tapering is done by first upsetting on the edges and then drawing the ends out again to the full width of the plate. This drawing slightly increases the length of the plates. While they are still hot they are cut to the proper length by a shear on the nibbing ma- chine, using the nib for the point of measurement. One end of the plate is allowed to cool before the other is PLANT AT ALTOONA. If this deflection falls within the prescribed limits of variation the spring is passed, and, after being painted, is sent io storage. The painting is done by a spraying machine. In the making of each class of spring there is a certain amount of extra work to be done on the master leaf. It ix either the slotting of the end to permit the passage ol the hanger, the welding on of pads for holding hanger keys in place or the bending of the ends for the joining of the two sections of the elliptic. The first item of this work is done on the combined punching and shearing muchine, already alluded to; the others are done by { hand by the blacksmith, no attempt having been made to use a machine for curving the ends, as in the case of the regular makers, where the output is much larger tban at Altoona. As in the other shops and depart- ments at Altoona and elsewhere on the Pennsylvania, all is piece work, and is subjected to a rigid inspection. The process of making elliptic and semi-elliptic springs 6 THE IRON AGE, January 31, 1901 One hydraulic testing machine. One hydraulic spring stripping machine. One air hoist for finished work. One air paint spraying machine. The first of these machines, the combined punch and shears, is very powerful, and is shown in front eleva- tion in Fig. 1. The frame of the machine, it may be seen, is formed of two castings bolted together, below the gap for the center driving gear, by three 14-inch bolts on each side. The eccentric shaft is 9% inches in diameter, with pins on the ends, for moving the cutter heads, 6% inches diameter, sect 144 inches eccentric, whereby a mo- tion of 3 inches is imparted to the heads. The gaps of the machine are quite small, because only narrow ma- terial is to be cut or punched and a great depth is not needed. The diameter of the driving pinion is 8 inches SYS Sa = SSS ‘ai T | oe = \¢-------------- 62 ------0----- WE--------------- an 26°—--------- WK ----------------- /8~------ >» eit 4 } 1 | 2 | Ly \ y:! 5b ‘oe [ cecarsz\iUfrcvee \ |‘ i ng - ; ‘we ea i \ Top LOT Pr oe ie i mx | ite g| Er. ‘2 — <4! Fig.9 —Cambering Machine. J « THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROADS will thus seem in outline to be a very simple one, but skilled workmen must be employed to meet the require- ments, and special machinery is needed that the cost may be kept down. The machinery and tools in use in the plant consist of: One combined punch and shears. 'wo combined nibbing, rolling and shearing ma- chines Six oil furnaces for heating plates and bands. Two machines for spring forming or cambering. Four iron tanks for tempering fluids. Two tables for spring fitters. One hydraulic spring banding machine. SPRING PLANT AT ALTOONA. and that of the gear 54 inches, with a common face of 6 inches. All heating is done in oil furnaces built upon the same general plan, but varied in detail to meet the require- ments of the special work that is to be done. The fur- nace in which the heating for nibbing and rolling the taper on the ends of the leaves is done is double, with access to the interior from each side. The one in which the leaves are heated prior to cambering and tempering is larger than the others, and has a bridge wall built across it as some distance from one end, and arranged so that heat enough will cross over to draw the tem- per on the leaves after they have been hardened. The January 31, 1901 THE Walton Rees oi] burners, shown in Fig. 2, are used. These burners were invented in the department. Oil is led into them under a pressure of about 6 pounds per square inch, through a 1%-inch pipe, having an ordinary right angled elbow on the inner end. The oil, issuing from the pipe, strikes against the ball A, by which it is into a broken spray, and is then caught by the blast IRON AGE. 7 around the fire box, close to the wall, and out at the vent. This is shown in the sectional plan of the heating furnace, Fig. 3. The combined jet of oil and air issues from the burner at A and follows along the walls B and C until it strikes the pocket D in the front wall near the door. There it is turned in toward the center, thus creating a swirl over the whole area of the fire box, and, at the same time, protecting the door from the escape of the flame. The front door is of the ordinary sliding type, with a On the side opposite the burner there are two holes 2% inches wide by 4 inches high for porter bars, and these holes are counter balanced lever for raising and lowering. also so set that the flame sweeps across their front face, with little or no tendency to escape. The brick lining s 9 inches thick, with well rounded corners, and the whole is held in position by a metal casing strengthened by buck stays that are made of old steel rails and tied together with %-inch bolts. Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the arrangement of the door and the blast pipe E. Fig. 5 is a side elevation in which is shown the le cation of the holes for the porter bars, the arch of the roof, the slope of the floor and the position of the slag holes. The nibbing, rolling and shearing machine is shown in front and end elevations in Fig. 6. It really includes tnree distinct machines, the main shaft of which is car- ried on four standards. At the extreme left is the nib shaft runs continuously at a speed of 60 revolutions per minute, and at this point is car- bing device. The ¥ (an - } f t = ms —| oO | TT | 4 Pm I < A “a 7 . i prs tL q ~-. . » % th —— PA se bea endian ‘A 2 xe Ee ¢ A _— ry i Reve me s . CZ, SS = t- hm] i oie SSS Da, he * << see r = ee Sie“ ee = pz » « - -- or e-e------- & 10" wreree----- > b }— am es Fig. 11.—Hydrauli Bana Stripping Press. THE PENNSYLVANIA and carried into the furnace. The blast is furnished by an ordinary fan, the pressure being 6 ounces. The ball A is held by two wedge shaped arms, B, and set at right angles to them are two of a similar shape for carrying the bell shaped nozzle ©, by which the oil is thrown into the furnace in the form of an annular jet. The burner is set just inside the casing of the furnace and well back from the working face of the brick work, as shown in Fig. 3. From the mouth of the burner the brick work is ut out in a flare so as not to interfere in any way with the effective spraying of the oil. The metal of the burner is so well shielded from the heated surfaces of the brick that it is protected against melting. rhe double sided open furnaces, for heating the leaves, have mn and the area over which the metal is subjected to the action of the flame is quite limited, since but a small portion of the plate is to be heated at any one time. The other furnaces have doors, and have the interior so constructed and the burner so located that the natural course of the finme is from the burner, doors, RAILROAD’S SPRING PLANT AT ALTOONA. ried by the boxes F and G. ‘The nibbing punch H is held by a screw cap to the head I, which has an open jaw on the front face, in which the eccentric on the shaft turns. When not in use the head is held to the extreme upward position of its travel by a spring, K, act- ing against the under side of a nut on a stud screwed into the head. The shaft is thus free to revolve and the eccentric is clear of any contact with the metal of the jaws, so that there can be no wear. When a plate has been heated and the end placed against the stop L, the operator upon the treadle M, thus, through the combination of levers shown in the end ele- vation, pushing the contact plate N beneath the eccen- tric, which then drives the nibbing punch downward. The rolls for tapering the ends of the leaves are te the right of the machine. They consist of two rolls, each 10 inches in diameter. To one side of each of these rolls @ cam is fastened, which has a thickness of % inch, and comes down on the sides of the rolls to within 2 inches of the center; this is shown in Fig. 7. At the right hand presses down 8 THE IRON AGE. ends of the rolls two eccentric grooves are cut, the shapes of which are also shown in Fig. 7. The grooves are used to upset the end of the leaf so that when rolled on the flat it will be drawn out to the normal width of the piate. The dimensions of the grooves are such that one or the other will cover the whole range of work. The operation is simple. The rolls revolve so as to deliver material toward the operator, who stands in front of the machine. Receiving a leaf with a heated end from the furnace, it is first thrust edgewise between the rolls in the eccentric grooves, until it is caught and thrown out. As this is done the approaching surfaces catch it and upset it. ‘The leaf is then placed between he rolls and given the flat taper at the end. It may be noticed that the cam is placed upon the upper roll only. The face of the leaf that rests against the lower roll is, therefore, left straight. The shearing cutter is driven by an eccentric working in an open jaw as in the case vf a nibbing machine, but without the sliding con- tact plate by which it can be stopped and started. The machine is driven by a 6-inch belt on a 16-inch pulley, keyed to a shaft upon which there are a 36-inch fly wheel and a 7}<-inch pinion, the latter meshing with a 3214-inch gear on the main shaft The lower roll is driven by gearing, as shown in the front elevation. The cambering machine, Figs. 8S and 9, is driven from a 4-inch puliey, keyed io the shaft O, making SO revolu tions a minute. Through a pinion and bevel gear the vertical roller I is kept in constant motion. A second ary roller, Q, faces the first, and s foreed out toward it by two springs The master leaf is shaped to a tem plate. The ends are held together and the rolls sepa- rated by the treadle aud connection R. This moves to the right and permits the leaf and template to be in serted between the rolls. The pressure of the springs when the thrust of the treadle is removed bends the leaf to the shape of the template. The table over which the work is moved has a total length of 5 feet 10 inches. or = feet 11 inches on each side of the center of the rolls. so that the leaf and template are supported throughout their whole length during their travel through the rolls, thus avoiding bending or crimping ‘The tanks in which the tenipering is done are ordinary steel tanks, with double sides and bottom. The space between the inner and outer walls is kept filled with water in constant circulation. This cools the crude oil contained in the interior and holds it at a constant suit- able temperature. After annealing the springs are straightened on the fitters’ tables, and the several leaves of each spring are brought together. These tables are heavy blocks of cast iron with a sloping pocket at one corner. The hydraulic band press is shown in Fig. 10. It consists of a heavy frame carrying two hydraulic eylin- ders, set at right angles to each other, one being vertical and the other horizontal. The two cylinders have each a working diameter of 10 inches and a stroke of 3% inches. Beneath each piston there is a powerful spring, thus in suring a quick return as soon as the pressure is relieved. The piping and valves are so arranged that the two pis- tons can be operated in unison or separately. The mode cf operation is to hold the leaves of the spring in position with a clamp and slip the heated band in position. The clainp is then removed and the whole put into the press, the top face of the band resting against blocking that has a bearing against the face of frame R. The two pistons with their attached rams are then forced against the band, upsetting it and tightening it against the leaves of ithe spring. This machine, while built at Altoona, does not differ from those used for a similar purpose by other spring makers, but is almost identical in the general design with those to be found elsewhere. With this exception, all of the machinery in the plant is peculiar to this establishment and differs in ali of its essential features from that in other estab- lishments The spring testing machine is of the ordinary type and does not differ from other machines in common use. The last machine belonging strictly to the spring mak- ing department is the stripping machine, shown in Fig. 11 This is a hydraulic press arranged to strip January 31, 1901 the old bands from springs thai have been sent in for repairs. There is a cylinder 6 inches in diameter, at the left, the plunger of which is fitted with a U-shaped thrust bar, 8, the ends of which are prevented from spreading by a boit, and which is brought to a bearing against the band of the spring. The end of the spring abuts against the stop T, which is notched to accom- modate the different hights to be operated upon. The tail piece can be adjusted to the length of spring that is to be stripped by means of the keys in the upper and lower tension bars. The spring is placed in the machine, in the position indicated by the dotted lines of the en- graving, and when the water pressure is admitted to the cylinder the U-piece pushes the band off. The ram is drawn back by the weight attached to a chain, as shown. The air hoist is of the ordinary type, hung from a trolley, and designed to lift and carry the comparatively light weights handled in the department. The paint spraying machine is also one that is familiar to all and deserves no special notice. From this review of the Altoona spring plant it will be seen by those who are familiar with the industry that the machinery and methods employed are those of a thor- oughly efficient manufactory. Indeed, it is necessary that they should be so, in order to meet the competition of the regular makers. The officials find that they can make avd repair cheaper than they can buy. — <—— - The Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Company.— The stockholders of the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Company held their annual meeting in Pittsburgh last week. J. B. Finley, president of the company, read his report, closing with the fiscal year on October 31 last. The report included the follow- ing statement: *“ Resources—Cash on hand and in banks, $269,235.32; accounts and bills receivable, $1,442,742.69; coal on hand, $1,576,405.56; supplies on hand, $326,678.98; otiice furniture, $10,735.65; stocks of other corporations, $262,050; investments, $38,151,309.42; total, $42,039,- 157.62. Siabilities—Preferred stock, $9,915,000; common stock, $20,000,000; bonds, $9,479,000; current debt, $2,- 149,471: undivided profits, $495,686.62; total, $42,039,- 157.62.” In presenting the report the president outlined the policy of the company by stating that in the future all land owned by the company from which the coal had been mined would be replaced by new land. It would not be the policy of the company to buy large tracts of coal land, but the acreage would not be allowed to de crease. At present the company have 200 more acres than last year. In addition all land from which coal had been taken during the year had been replaced. Out of the sinking fund the company have bought in $184,000 worth of bonds. The election of directors resulted as follows Il. C. Fownes, George I. Whitney, Samuel 8S. Brown, A Jutte, William B. Rodgers, Hugh Moren, George W Theis, O. A. Blackburn and J. B. Finley. oe a The Norway Iron & Steel Company.—The annual meeting of the Norway Iron & Steel Company of York, Pa.. was held in the company’s offices on January 22, 1901. Hon. W. F. Bay Stewart, Charles James, J, W. Steacy, D. F. Lafean, Jno. McCoy, John Q. Denny and H. H. Weber were elected directors, after which the follow- ing officers were chosen: President, Hon. W. F. Bay Stewart: vice-president and general manager, Charles James; secretary. H. H. Weber; treasurer, J. M. Smyser., The Executive Committee is composed of Hon. W. F. Bay Stewart, J. W. Steacy and H. H. Weber. The Nor- way Iron & Steel Company are now ready for active op- eration and will shortly be run on full time. Inquiries are numerous and a number of orders have been taken tor February and March delivery. Over 200 men will be employed by this company when the plant is running to its ful! capacity. SS Ee — The imports of merchaudise into the United States during December, 1900, amounted in value to $68,600,000, as against 370,733,000 in December, 1899. The exports reached $144,197,500, as compared with $121,395,000 in the corresponding month of the previous year January 31, 1901 THE Watertown Arsenal Tests of Metals. The report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899, has recently been published by the Ordnance Depart ment, United States Army. and the nineteenth of the series, contains the results of Chis volume, of 900 pages tests of ordnance material and constructive material ot a general and investigative character. The ordnance tests represent material examined in the ordinary course of routine work on the properties of iron used in the fabrication of small arms, field, siege and seacoast guns forged steel, steel castings and cast and mortars, and for their carriages and mounts. In the larger caliber guns the tensile properties of the tubes and jackets are as follows: Elastic limits from 45,000 to 55,000 pounds per square inch, tensile strength ranging from 85,000 to 95,000 pounds, with an elonga tion after fracture of 20 per cent. and contraction ot area 40 per cent. or more, measured on a specimen 3 inches long. For small arms, the barrel steels have an elastic limit generally above 70,000 pounds, with the tensile strength ranging from 110,000 to 120,000 pounds per square inch The fractures of these specimens were commonly silky in appearance, developing good elongation and contra: tion of area. In this group of tests is found a special tungsten steel, having an elastic limit of 101,000 pounds and tensile strength 125,500 pounds, the elongation be ing 1% per cent. and contraction of area 34 per cent This steel contained 1.94 per cent. of tungsten and 0.72 carbon. Steel castings used in the mounts of 6-pounder and 15-pounder guns had a tensile strength of from 60,000 to 70,000 pounds. Internal strains in gun forgings were investigated The tubes of 5-inch rapid fire guns were treated for the purpose of introducing strains in the metal in the fol lowing manner: The tubes were heated to a tempera- ture of 800 to 975 degrees F., and then rapidly cooled by a stream of water passing through the bore. This treatment results in putting the metal in a state of com pression at the bore, with the outside in a corresponding state of initial tension. bore in one case inch. The compressive stress at the is reported as 40,000 pounds per square Annealing relieves these internal strains, and ex- posure to a temperature of 1000 degrees IF. reduced the value of the internal stress from 26,200 to 5500 pounds per square inch occurred \ rearrangement of the internal strains when the dimensions of the forging changed, some of the metal being turned off. Cartridge brass, in showed an were sheets about 16.000 inch thickness, limit of pounds, a_ tensile strength of 46,000 ponds, with the exceptional elong: tion of 60 per cent. on a 10-inch section. elastic The composi tion of this metal was: copper 70, zine 30. Compression tests on mortar and concrete occupy 128 pages of the report. The mixtures ranged from a con crete consisting of 1 part neat cement and 2 parts broken stone to the lean mixture of 1 part cement, 6 sand and 12 stone. Different terial. Mixtures were prepared in which there was a deficiency or excess of mortar with reference to the voids in the stone. There were mortars which were kept in a state of agitation for several hours after mixing and before being finally tamped into the molds and allowed to finish their setting without being further disturbed. The strongest concrete tested was the neat cement and broken stone mixture, with no sand present, the strength diminishing as the leaner mixtures were reached. At the end of six months the strength of the several mixtures, 1:0:2, 1:2:4, 1:3:6 and 1:6:12 stood to each other as 100, 68, 57, 25, in the case of some concretes made of Alsen’s Portland cement. The crush- ing strength of the 1:0:2 mixture was 5330 pounds per square inch. Concrete cubes loaded on a part of the surface, taken equidistant from each edge, showed higher strength per square inch on this reduced section than displayed by a corresponding cube loaded over the entire surface. <A cube loaded over two-thirds of the end surface showed a crushing strength of 665 ages of setting were given the ma- pounds per square inch. LRON (GE. 9 Making a comparison of surfaces differing in extent, the greater strength was shown by